The Painted Spirit
by Kyatto no Edo
Summary: A series of ficlets that tells the story of a masked loner and the painted lady who saved him. [AR] [Zutara]
1. Chapter 1

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part I_

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He's struggling so very hard. Trying to get in, but he knows he can't. Struggling to wade through the moat, it's hard to see through the two holes of his mask. It gives him tunnel vision and he believes his mission is done for.

General Iroh was moved to a higher guarded prison. They feared he and the prince were plotting so they disallowed any further visits. Now even for a simple "hello" he had to cross a moat and scale a wall.

He misses the days when all he had to do was shove aside a singe guard. That was child's play compared to this.

His foot gets caught in some built up muck on the bottom. He stumbles, nearly falling over. The water is now up to his knees and he is cold. The night air does nothing for his lowering body temperature.

She watches all of this from the ledge of a cliff not too far away. The veil shields her face from view, but she can see it all clearly. It was a promise she had made, never to turn back on someone who needed her. She'd had her eye on this mysterious stranger for days. He seemed to be in need of her help. There was no way she would turn her back on him either.

She floats down gracefully to the end of the moat where he came from. She's fortunate that this is the Fire Nation, for her presence is covered up by the steam. As the masked stranger struggles through to get to the other side, she takes a deep breath and suddenly the water level lowers. What once came almost to his hip now tickles his ankles.

He stops for a moment, confused, perplexed, but then shrugs it off as a trick of the night. When he reaches the other side, he draws his swords, and then sneaks around the side of the building to evade the guards. She watches with a pleased smile on her face. A few guards look like they are on his trail but she quickly blocks their way with steam. There was no way she'd let him fall back now.

As he scales the side of the tower he notices a veiled figure in the distance. There's a misty aura around it, almost spiritual. He smirks behind his mask then nods his thanks in her direction. Whether or not she saw it he couldn't tell.

Sensing his gratitude she sighs. Another night, another lost soul she had saved.

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To be continued….


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part II_

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A few days pass since their first, yet very brief encounter.

General Iroh was disappointed that the Blue Spirit had returned once more.

The young prince sulks, lolling about on his bed in his chambers. The milky moonlight filtering through the curtains seems blinding in contrast to the dark shadows. Every chirp from insects, every rustle in the foliage, every footstep and shuffling, all is piercing in the silence of night. The boy is restless, his sheets in a tangled knot around his torso. Finally giving up, he dons all black and the mask, and ventures outside. Summer comes with an intense heat, even at night it is much too hot for the outer robe.

The small pale hopping insects scatter when he takes his first steps on the grass. He is sneaky, avoiding where the moonlight illuminates the most, choosing to travel the path set by the shadows. The old man has resumed his silent treatment; he knows visiting him again for a while will be futile. Away from the palace, and the prison towers, he nears a lake. The thick, hot, and humid air is heavy around him, the insides of the mask touching his skin quickly dampen, sweat beading along his brow. He can almost taste the moisture.

The spirit who had helped him the other night appeared to be of the water variety. If he were to find her again, this lake would be the place.

He learned in his youth that spirits were wise. Perhaps this one would be able to help him further.

Knowing that nothing would be gained by dipping at the water's edge, he wades farther in, until the water is up to his waist. The fish sense his presence and disperse, leaving him alone. This night is not as cool, so the water isn't treacherous, and he is able to find comfort in the refreshing feel of it clinging to his tight clothes. He looks toward the moon, knowing that is the water's true master.

In the light of the moon he sees her. She seems to float as she descends the hill. Slowly at first; very cautious. Spirits do not always like to be seen, that much he knew. She too finds refuge traveling by shadows, and soon she is at the edge of the lake. He continues to watch her, finally able to get a good glimpse of her face through the veil. Her eyes are a piercing blue, much like the water he knows she can control.

Careful, as always, she looks around quickly, and then makes her way across the lake. As she walks, he notices the level of water around her steps lowers. Steam comes off the surface, surrounding them in a misty cloud. The temperature around him increases and he realizes he is sweating. As she gets nearer and the cloud thickens, the heat continues to grow. Soon it is almost unbearable, the mask sticking to his face, the taste in his mouth salty. Trusting this mysterious maiden, he pulls his mask off in front of her.

When she sees his face, she disappears.

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To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

The Painted Spirit

Part III

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Soft, gentle, like the fluttering of a butterfly's wings. He dreams of her visiting him in the night, of what her lips might feel like. His mind plays tricks on him; he swears he's seen her appear in various spots in the palace. However, each time he would blink, she would not be there.

Iroh never said anything to him about spiritual love.

Love, he thought he knew it…Thought he felt it.

After the moment at the lake, a fortnight later, after the sun set, in the gardens of the palace he splays himself in the grass. The somber girl with dark hair, his current beau, Mai, lies beside him, her head rests against his shoulder. They look up at the moon together, and listen to each other breathe. He feels everything with her, every breath, and every slight twitch her muscles make, the warmth of her skin as it brushes against his.

They kiss, and right away it is intense. Every time their lips touch it feels like sparks course through him, as if he is suddenly alive. His body feels everything, but his mind is blank, dark and empty. Is this was love is supposed to feel like? She touches his scar but he doesn't flinch, doesn't hesitate, he trusts her. There is such a look of devotion in her slim eyes; he doesn't want to push her away. Not until he is sure he can collect himself.

He looks at the moon again when they part, and he swears he can see an elegant woman dressed in white. She seems disappointed, as if she had a love that was lost to her.

Mai touches him again and the woman in the moon vanishes. She smiles at him, a rare thing for her. He brings himself to smile back briefly and then notices a soft mist has begun to surround them. It is then he is reminded of the time and excuses himself to return to his chambers.

Almost asleep, he lies in his bed, eyes fixed on the moon through the window. He does not notice the mist has filtered into his room as well. In the blink of an eye he sees the spirit, the maiden with the painted face and bright blue eyes. She is seated on the edge of his bed, peering at him through her thin veil. He sits up to get a better look at her and she nods before she light cups his face, the side with the scar, with one hand and looks into his eyes. He's so startled he doesn't think to pull away. Something about her touch, the way she looks at him is familiar. Even her eyes, the shade of blue, he had seen before but can't place where.

She leans in and closes her eyes, placing a gentle kiss upon his lips. It is light, delicate and soft. Almost as if there hadn't been one at all. And then as quickly as she had come, she disappears.

His eyes open suddenly and he lurches up in his bed, looking around. The room is dark, quiet and empty. The only light comes from the moon through the window. Where the woman once stood there is nothing but the collected dust on the floor. It appears to be undisturbed. He touches his lips in wonder. He swears he had been awake.

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To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part IV_

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It's been a little over a week since he had attempted to break into the prison again. Perhaps now Iroh would be willing to talk to him. The only problem…How was he going to be able to manage this time?

There was no way he could count on the Painted Lady's presence. Spirits have minds of their own. How would she know to help him?

It's night, around midnight and again he dons the guise of the Blue Spirit. The number of guards has lessened, so he's able to escape his chambers quickly and with ease. He is ready for the moat this time, grabbing a plank of wood and a long broken ranch from a tree to use as a raft. Using the shadowed side of the prison, he pushes his way across, always careful with his footing to keep his balance.

When he makes it across to the other side, he finds a pleasant surprise.

She was waiting for him.

He nods in gratitude as she pulls him ashore and helps him sneak into the building. She distracts the guards by bringing up her mist and they are able to get in without being detected. Once inside however, she is lost, and he has to lead the way. General Iroh, a traitor, is locked away on a very high floor. Along the way they have to knock out a few guards. Once they reach the room with his cell, they are quiet, and she lets him go first.

Upon seeing the Blue Spirit, Iroh frowns and is about to turn away, but then doesn't when he notices he has someone with him. One look at her eyes alone and he smiles briefly. He knows who she is.

"We're here to get you out," the Blue Spirit announces and then looks for the keys.

The Painted Lady stops him and then shuts the door. Water flows out from a hidden pouch and surrounds the bars of the cell. She lets out a breath, freezing the water, and then lashes at it with a water-whip. The frozen metal shatters and the old man rolls out of the way. The loud sound sends the guards in their direction, but Iroh is wise. He breaks the back wall with firebending, and then motions for them to follow him as he leaps out.

The prince behind the mask in unsure, but the Painted Lady smiles at him and wraps an arm around his waist. She brings out another long whip of water, almost like a rope and uses the bending to guide them down to the ground below.

There is something very familiar about the way she manipulates water.

They run from the prison, away from civilization, until they reach a clearing. Once there, the prince is once again lost and confused. He freed his uncle, but now what? There is no way he could bring him back to the palace. They would just put him back in jail. He worries are cut off by the Painted Lady. She looks like she has the answer.

She takes Iroh by the hand and smiles at the prince. "Your uncle will be safe with me."

Iroh seems to smile knowingly as she says this, and she brings her mist up to cover their departure.

Her voice is familiar too.

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To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part V_

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"You're crazy."

He glares at Mai. He's just told her about the spirit who had helped him free his uncle. She wasn't taking him seriously. He glares at her, but says nothing. That's just how she is.

"It's a person. Not a spirit."

"I know that by now."

"Psh. Yeah, right."

She sighs and shakes her head, but goes up to him and places a gentle kiss on his lips. "Look at me, I'm here, and I am real. And I'm not going anywhere." With that, she turns and leaves, most likely to find either Azula or Ty Lee. She knows better than to stay with him for too long.

It's been two weeks since he last saw the Painted Lady. He wonders if Mai was right, and if he had been tricked.

That night a messenger hawk comes into his window and drops something at the foot of his bed. It's a letter. The letter is from the Painted Lady. She asks that he meets her in the clearing in an hour. He sighs, but silently agrees. In a matter of minutes he's clad in his Blue Spirit disguise and makes his way to the last place he saw her.

She appears only minutes later, surrounded by her usual covering of mist. They are both silent for a moment, separated by a good ten feet between them. They both know there is something they must do.

"I think you know who I am." He says this quietly, taking off his mask.

"I do," she replies. "You're Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation."

"I am." He nods. "You're still the mystery."

She pulls her veil away. "You know me."

"I figured that much out."

"We're not supposed to help each other."

"I know."

"I'm not a spirit."

"I know."

"I'm only a girl. A girl from the Water Tribe."

"I recognized your style."

"Why do you continue to meet me?"

"I should ask the same of you."

"I only came to help your uncle."

"I know. He doesn't deserve to be locked away here."

"Glad you and I can agree on something."

"Is he doing well with the Avatar?"

She hesitates, not sure at first how to respond. Coming to a realization, she stumbles towards him and peers up into his eyes.

"You know me," she repeats.

"I might."

Biting her lip, she cups his face with both hands, one thumb brushing over his scar. He doesn't move, and looks down at her, lost in the abyss of bright blue.

"I'm Katara."

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To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part VI_

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"I'm Katara."

Those words still cling to his memory, like freezing rain to his skin during a storm. He had been helped by a sworn enemy, one of the Avatar's friends. Now he must face the shame of needing help in the first place.

He might prefer if she had been a real spirit after all.

Real spirits would not mess with the ways of the heart.

Mai's grip on his shoulder tightens. They are outside, just after sunset, not too long ago having a candlelit dinner. Now they sit side by side atop a hill, gazing at the scenery together. The whole time he avoids her gaze, just smiling and nodding in response to anything she says. She takes notice, but doesn't make a scene out of it. Her prince will forever be an enigma.

"Would it make me any less of a man to admit that I failed?"

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't do it alone."

She purses her lips and thinks on it for a moment. Obviously he is referring to how his uncle escaped. She knew all along it had been his doing. For a long time he'd talk about nothing else other than his uncle's condition. Now he's admitting he needed help too; this was new for him.

"Don't tell me it's the spirit girl again." She frowns.

"What's wrong with that?"

"She's not real."

"How would you know?"

Silence. She finds it hard to form a proper response to this. How would she know? She's never met a spirit in her life.

"You know nothing then."

He stands up suddenly and looks like he is about to storm off. However, she catches him by the back of his pants' leg and she smirks up at him.

"Don't tell me you've fallen for her." There is hint of amusement in her tone. Amusement to cover up the lingering feeling of jealousy that's plagued her emotions ever since he brought up his adventures with the Painted Lady.

"What if I have?"

"You have me."

"You may not be good enough."

That stung. She lost herself for a moment, recoiling as if he had slapped her across the face. Her eyes were wider with shock.

With that he really did storm off.

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To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part VII_

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"You learn quickly, my Avatar," Iroh smiles.

"I have a great teacher."

"When one has the knowledge and the wisdom, it is always best to share it with those who seek it most."

Aang looks slightly off-put for a moment. "Do you know anything about….girls?"

"You mean the Waterbender?"

"Yeah…Her…."

Iroh tries to hide his disappointment for what he knew to be the boy's romantic fate. "If she is truly to be yours, then she will come to you. For now, you should focus on doing your duty."

"Yes, master Iroh."

"Speaking of the girl…Where has she gone off to?"

"Huh?" Aang whips around. "Katara?"

Meanwhile, in the capital city of the Fire Nation, the young prince is on his way to his chambers when he is cornered. It's been over a day since he last spoke to Mai, and she is furious with him. Sensing she has something hidden up her sleeve, much as she usually does, he doesn't try to run away or avoid her.

"What do you want?"

"I thought we had an agreement…"

"Look, I know when we were young; all we had was each other….but things are different now…I've changed…."

"I know what you've been through; you wouldn't stop repeating it over and over again. You even said before, you may have changed, but your feelings have not."

"What if they have?"

"What? For some spirit girl?"

"….Mai…."

"You spent part of your life chasing a legend….And now you're chasing ghosts too?"

"She's real!"

"Zuko…Your worries about your uncle must have made you delirious…" Mai sighs and shakes her head at him.

"I'm more sane now than I ever was!"

"Zuko…Stop…Just…"

She cups his face with both hands and pulls him in for a deep kiss. "Don't forget who you are and what you have at stake."

During their conversation, a light mist filters in the hallway. The Painted Lady is there, hidden in the shadows. She sees and hears everything. Their kiss hits something deep inside, a spot she didn't know she had. It hurts, and she doesn't understand why. Is it jealousy? Or is it her compassion for knowing it is she who is getting in the way of someone else's happy ending? Either way, it hurts.

The prince snaps his head to the side, noticing the mist. "…She's here…"

"…What?"

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To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part VIII_

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Mai shivers; chilled by the sudden cool mist brushing against her. She stares at the Painted Lady for a long moment before backing away, and then turning to run down the dark hall. There was something intimidating about this supposed spirit girl's presence. Mai knows when to pick her fights, and when to flee. For now, she chooses to bide her time and corner Zuko again later.

"Did I…interrupt something?"

"No."

The prince relaxes, stepping off the wall and turns to face her.

"Why did you come again? We no longer have any business with each other. The Avatar has his master."

"Zuko…You were right…"

"About what?"

"You have changed."

He chews his lip and just eyes her, not sure what to say.

She parts her veil, spits on her hand, and wipes the paint off her face. Her eyes grab his in a piercing gaze. She looks the same way she did back in the catacombs her expression concerned, and forgiving.

"I'm sorry but…I can no longer heal you."

"I could've guessed…He's alive."

"I doubt it would've worked anyway."

"I told you scars can't be healed."

"….How long have you known her?"

"Who?"

"Mai."

"How do you know her?"

"Azula and Ty Lee, along with her, came after us a couple of times."

"…We grew up together."

"Were you together…you know…before your banishment?"

"Something like that."

She offers him a small smile. "I can see that she really cares for you."

He shrugs.

"….You don't love her?"

"I don't even know the meaning of the word anymore."

"….I'm sorry."

"Huh?" He arches a brow.

"I….I only helped you to get Iroh for Aang. Toph likes him, and Aang believes he would be a good teacher….and he is."

"I can see that now."

"I still can't forgive you for what you've done…She almost killed him. The world's last hope. And you let it happen…That's almost as terrible as doing it yourself."

"According to my father now, his death is my doing."

"…What?"

"Azula told him I was the one who finished him off."

"And you're going along with it?" She gives him a very displeased look.

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"You know, when the world discovers Aang's not dead, you'll fall again, with even less hope for climbing back up."

"I know."

"And yet you still choose to stay here and risk it?"

"It's the only home I have. The only life I know."

"There's a world outside these walls, Zuko."

"I saw."

"You could be a hero."

"For now I still am."

"That's not the point!" She slaps her forehead in frustration.

"Then what is?"

"Your uncle is Aang's teacher, but….you'd still be a good ally….for us…"

"I can't do that. My loyalty is to my nation. I am not a traitor like him."

"You're betraying your country more by going down your own path of destruction."

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To be continued….


	9. Chapter 9

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part IX_

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Her words have hit him hard. Zuko knows he needs to think about things.

The days are longer, most of his time is spent pondering.

He no longer has anything to gain by remaining at home. Azula made sure of that. Only thing he has to lose is Mai.

But she wouldn't care. She never cares.

It is late in the night. Even the nighttime guards have grown tired during their shifts. He dons his hooded cloak and grabs his swords and makes his way out of the palace. He looks back when he reaches the gates. Feeling forlorn that he has to leave behind what he gained back….What he will lose anyway once his mistake has been discovered.

Mai will wake up heartbroken in the morning. The message he sent by hawk should arrive by then.

It is a long walk. Zuko doesn't reach the intended location until sunrise. It's on the very edge of the island, near the beach. OF course they would know better than to make camp too near the capital.

He was lucky he was able to score a few rides on ostrich-horse and rhino to speed up his trip.

He is met by the warm eyes of Iroh. He was doing the current watch. He smiles when he sees his nephew pull down his hood.

"Very wise decision, my nephew," the old man says softly when he pulls the prince in for an embrace.

"A kind spirit showed me the way."

---xOxOxOxOxOx---


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Painted Spirit**_

_Part X_

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It's been about a week since Zuko decided to join the Avatar and his group. However he isn't really all that involved. Every time the Avatar sees him, he seems to appear as though he hold some sort of grudge. Especially if Zuko were to chance a look at Katara.

In the whole time of being there he never cornered her alone.

When Iroh wasn't training Aang, he was spending time with Zuko. Zuko was learning a lot about his past, as well as why Iroh was always pushing for him to aid the Avatar. His family had a history with the Avatar spirit, as well as his very own bloodline.

Late one night Zuko decides to to put off sleep and dons his hooded cloak. He notices Katara is also missing and ventures out to look for her. There is a small lake in the forest and he finds her there, practicing her bending by moonlight.

"Hello," he greets her softly.

She pauses, the water she had in the air dropping to the pool. "…Hi."

"Should I leave?"

"..No…No. You don't."

"I mean this whole thing. Obviously the Avatar doesn't want me."

"What do you mean? Of course he does! The more help the better!"

"He's not fond of me. Really."

"Don't be silly!"

"You didn't like me for a while either."

"That was before…I saw who you really were."

"Which is?"

"Someone worth helping."

"What you saw was a façade. An alter ego."

"That's what you saw of me as well."

"Then what's the real you like?"

"Do you really want to know?"

He seems taken aback. She smiles and strolls towards him away from the pool.

"Someone who can trust you."

Katara then presses her lips against his cheek lightly and then pulls away.

"No more hiding?" He blinks.

"No more hiding."

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The End.


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